It is apparent that some areas of permafrost have begun to thaw or are susceptible to melting, which may reduce the amount of continuous permafrost in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The thawing is believed to encourage erosion of Arctic slopes, and may reduce the stability of roads and other structures built on permafrost. Furthermore, it is apparent that thawed permafrost may facilitate the release of methane and/or other hydrocarbons (and also releases CO2) into the atmosphere, which could be detrimental to the environment.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need to maintain the integrity of permafrost in regions that are no longer able to provide a sufficiently cold environment year round. There also exists a need to collect gases escaping from thawed or thawing permafrost, and a need to provide a safe and controllable method for extracting methane from permafrost and preventing the methane from causing harmful greenhouse gas warming.